Filter mechanism



June 17, 1952 MLAX 2,601,156

FILTER MECHANISM Filed April 20, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet l I 27 z; o 1 .l 1I I T 1 1 37 l 42 v r i .1 (M

mvzmon 4/4977 [0x KB M ATTORNEY June 17, 1952 LAX 2,601,156

FILTER MECHANISM Filed April 26, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet 2 4 INVENTOR 40 1 MRT/N 614x Patented June 17, .1952

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILTER MECHANISM Martin Lax, Bronx, N. Y.

Application April 20, 1948, Serial No. 22,135

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the filter mechanism ofdry-cleaning machines and like apparatus of the type in which renewablefilters are contained in a chamber through which the cleaning fluid orsolvent is caused to circulate to remove dirt and foreign mattertherefrom.

In such filter apparatus as usually employed, a plurality of fiat filtermembers are assembled in parallel relation to each other and it isnecessary to remove the filters from their container at brief intervalsin order that the accumulated dirt may be scraped or otherwise removedfrom the exterior of the filter members.

One object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement wherebya plurality of vertically disposed filters may be turned about verticalaxes so that the dirt accumulated on the external surfaces of thefilters is loosened and caused to settle to the lower part of thecasing. I

Another object is to provide the individual filter members with rockingmeans whereby each member is caused to rock or swing in a directioncounter to that of the adjacent members and whereby portions of thefilter members are caused to engage each other to cause a arring actionthat loosens the accumulated dirt on the surfaces of the said members.Still another object of the invention is to provide a removablereceptacle in the lower part of the filter chamber or casing with meanswhereby such receptacle may be conveniently withdrawn with theaccumulated dirt therein.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed outin the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in theform and. in minor details may be made without departing from the spiritof the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of the filter casing with themeans for the removal of the dirt from the lower part thereof. Fig. 2 isa perspective View showing the inner part of one of the filter members.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the fabric filters. Fig. 4 is asimilar view of the upper part of the filter member. Fig. 5 is avertical section of the casing on the line 5-5, Fig. 1, and showing thefilter mechanism. Fig. 6 is a horizontal plan view of the same. Fig. '7is an enlarged sectional view showing part of a filter member and Fig. 8is a crosssection of the same.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8showing the filter members, each filter member comprises a metallicframe l0 having a wire mesh core II and an outer covering l2 of cloth orother suitable filtering material, which is in the form of a bag havinga central lower opening |3 for the passage of a nipple l4, While theopen mouth l5 of the ba is folded over and clamped by the application ofthe channel member l6, and it is to be understood that other well knoWnfiltering devices of this type may be substituted. As shown at Figs. 7and 8, the nipples l4 engage sockets I! in a manifold |8 horizontallymounted in the casing |9 as shown at Fig. 5. Each channel member l6(Fig. 4) is provided with a toothed wheel 20 and with a central upwardlyprojecting spindle 2| and these spindles 2| are in alignment with thenipples l4 and are mounted in bearings in a crossbar 22 suitably mountedin the casing l9, and one of the spindles 2| is extended upwardly andcarries a crank 23 which is connected by means of a rod 24 to a crankpin 25 which latter is caused to rotate by the action of beveled gears26 actuated by a crank handle 2! located outside the casing so thatrotation of the handle 2'! oscillates the crank 23 and imparts rockingmovement to all the filter members so that adjacent members are rockedin opposite directions until they make contact with each other. The gearwheels 20 of adjacent filters engage each other so that the desiredrocking motion and contact of the filters is obtained.

As clearly shown at Fig. 6, the filters are not all of the same widthand the arrangement is such that the upper corner of each narrowerfilter is caused to swing until it contacts an adjacent filter ofgreater width and as the crank handle 21 is rotated the filters are alloscillated so that they contact each other as above described and avibrating or jarring action is obtained.

The channel members It at the upper extremities of the filter membersare arranged to thus make contact with each other and to transmit thevibration or jar to the filter members.

If so desired, the filter rocking mechanism may be actuated by powerinstead of by the hand crank 21 and for this purpose an electric motor28 having suitable reducing gear 29 may be provided on a suitablebracket 30 on the front of the casing as shown at Fig. 1.

The casing I9 is provided with a removable cover 3| having clamps 32 anda vent pipe 33 with a shut-01f valve 34. At the upper part of the casingan inlet pipe 35 admits dirt-laden fluid from the dry cleaning apparatusand at the lower part of the casing the said manifold l8 extendsdiametrically across the casing and is provided with the sockets IT forthe reception of the nipples l4 above referred to so that the filteredfluid from the interior of the filters passes through the nipples l4 tothe manifold and may thus be conveyed back to the dry cleaning apparatusor to any suitable storage tank or the like. In the lower part of thecasing between the manifold 8 and the base 36 of the casing,

a receiver 31 having a perforated bottom 38 for the support of afiltering screen 39 of fabric or other suitable material is mounted onrollers 40 on the said base 33. At the front of this lower part, thecasing is provided with a hinged door 4| having suitable clamps 42 andat the front of the casing a removable platform 43 having supportingwheels 44 may be provided for the reception and removal of the dirtreceiver 37.

For the operation of the mechanism to clean the used fluid, the cover 3|and. door 4| of the casing are closed and sealed and a drain pipe 45 isclosed, and while the filters preferably remain in their midposition inparallel relation to each other, fluid that has been used in theoperation of the dry cleaning apparatus is admitted to the casingthrough the pipe 35 and the shutoff valve 34 is opened to permit air inthe upper part of the casing to escape through the pipe 33 and when suchair has all escaped, the said valve is closed and the fluid is filteredby passing to the interior of the individual filters and from thencepassing downwardly through the hollow nipples I4 and outwardly throughthe manifold l8. When the filters become coated wit-h dirt on theirexternal surfaces, the passage of fluid from the manifold I8 is stoppedso that circulation through the casing may be temporarily interruptedand the crank handle 2! or the motor 28 is then operated so as to causethe rockin and jarring action of the filters as above described, withthe result that the accumulated dirt and foreign matter become dislodgedfrom the filtering surfaces and settle on the screen 39 in the receiver31 at the lower part of the easing. During or immediately after thisrocking operation, fluid may be caused to enter the casing through theupper pipe 35 and to pass outwardly through the drain pipe 45 in thebottom of the casing and, on the completion of this filter-cleaningoperation as above described, the pipe 35 and manifold l8 are closedofiflthe upper part of the casing is vented through the valve 34 and thedrain pipe 45 permits all the fiuid to drain from the casing, afterwhich the door 4| is opened and the receiver 31 is drawnonto theplatform 43 by which it may be at once removed from the vicinity of theapparatus for suitable disposal.

Although the drawings and the above specification disclose the best modein which I have contemplated embodyingmy invention, I desire to be in noway limited to the details of such disclosure, for, in the furtherpractical application of my invention, many changes in form andconstruction may be made, as circumstances require or experiencesuggests, without departing from the spirit of the invention within thescope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Filter mechanism comprising a casing, a connection for the admissionto thecasing of the liquid to be filtered, a plurality of individuallypivoted filter members with substantially fiat side faces mounted in thecasing, means whereby the individual filter members are rocked abouttheir individual axes until each filter is stopped. by jarring contactwith an adjacent part, such rocking motion causing adjacent filtermembers to converge at one side of their axes and to diverge at theother side of said axes, and a connection for the withdrawal of filteredliquid from the filter members.

2. Filter mechanism comprising a casing, a connection for the admissionto the casing of the liquid to be filtered, a plurality of rectangularfilter members, means whereby alternate filter members are rocked untiltheir corners are brought into jarring contact with the corners of theother filter members to dislodge accumulate'd dirt from the filtermembers, such rocking motion causing adjacent filter members to convergeat one side of their axes and to diverge at the other side of said axes,and a connection for the withdrawal of filtered liquid from the filtermembers.

3. Filter mechanism'comprising a casing, a connection for the admissionto the casing of the liquid to be filtered, a plurality of substantiallyrectangular filter members mounted on spaced axes in said casing, powermechanism for swinging adjacent filter members simultaneously inopposite directions about said axes to bring their outer parts intojarring contact, and a connection for the withdrawalof filtered liquidfrom the filter members.

4. Filter mechanism comprising a casing, a connection for the admissionto the casing of the liquid to be filtered, a plurality of filtermembers in the casing, a manifold for the reception of filtered liquidfrom said members, a hollow nipple on the lower part of each filtermember, spaced sockets in said manifold receiving said nipples andserving as bearings therefor, means causing each filter member to turnwith its nipple in a socket to displace each filter member with respectto an adjacent member and to bring the filter members into jarringcontact with each other to dislodge dirt therefrom.

5. Filter mechanism comprising a casing, a connection for the admissionto the casing of the liquid to be filtered; a plurality of filtermembers in the casing, a manifold receiving the filtered liquid fromsaid members, a hollow nipple on the lower part of each filter member, asocket in said manifold receiving each nipple and serving as a rotarybearing therefor, and power mechanism rocking adjacent filter memberssimultaneously in opposite directions into jarring contact to dislodgedirt therefrom by the jarring action.

6. Filter mechanism comprising a casing, a connection for the admissionto the casing of the liquid to be filtered, a plurality" of flatfiexible filter membersiii the casing, a manifold for the reception ofthe filtered liquid from said members, a hollow nipple on the lower partof each filter member, spaced sockets in said'manifoldreceivingsaid'nipples'and serving as'spa'c'ed rotary bearings therefor, and meansfor rocking said filter members simultaneously in opposite directionsinto jarring contact with each other to dislodge dirt therefrom;

7. Filter mechanism comprising a casing, a connection for the admissionto the casing" of the liquid to be filtered, a plurality of filtermembers in the casing, a manifold for the reception of filtered liquidfrom said members, a rotary connection between each filter member andthe manifold, means for rocking one of the filter members about asubstantially central axis, means whereby such rocking motion istransmitted to the adjacent filter members to cause the latter tosimultaneously rock in the opposite direction to cause jarring contactbetween adjacent filter members to dislodge dirt therefrom, such rockingmotion causing adjacent filter members to converge at one side of theiraxes and to diverge at the other side of said axes.

8. Filter mechanism comprising a casing, a connection for the admissionto the casing of the liquid to be filtered, a plurality of filtermembers in the casing, a manifold for the reception of filtered liquidfrom said members, a hollow rotary connection between each filter memberthe manifold, crank mechanism for rocking one of the filter membersabout a substantially vertical axis, and means transmitting such rockingmotion to adjacent filter members causing the latter to move intojarring contact with the crank-actuated member.

9. Filter mechanism having a casing, a connection for the admission tothe casing of the liquid to be filtered, a plurality of filter memberswithin the casing, a manifold for the reception of filtered liquid fromsaid members, a movable connection between each filter memher and themanifold, means for swinging one of the filter members about asubstantially vertical axis, and means transmitting swinging motion inthe opposite direction to adjacent filter members causing jarringcontact of the upper corners of one of the members with the upper partsof adjacent members, such swinging motion causing adjacent filtermembers to converge at one side of their axes and to divergesimultaneously at the other side of said axes.

10. Filter mechanism comprising a casing, a connection for the admissionto the casing of the liquid to be filtered, a plurality of filters offiat flexible material mounted in the casing in spaced relation to eachother, a drain in the bottom of the casing, and means for rockingadjacent filter members in opposite directions with respect to eachother to dislodge the dirt from the fiat external surfaces of saidmembers by the jarring contact of the members and by the consequentbulging of the flexible material, such rocking motion causing adjacentfilter members to converge at one side of their axes and to diverge atthe other side of said axes.

11. Filter mechanism comprising a casing, a

6 connection for the admission to the casing of the liquid to befiltered, a plurality of flat filter members mounted in the casing inspaced relation to each other, means for rocking adjacent filter membersin opposite directions into jarring contact with each other to jar thedirt from the external surfaces of said members, such rocking motioncausing adjacent filter members to converge at one side of their axesand to simultaneously diverge at the other side of said axes, a manifoldreceiving the filtered liquid from the filter members to convey suchliquid from the casing, a drain pipe in the bottom of the casing, a dirtreceiver in the lower part of the casing,

- and a strainer in the dirt receiver.

12. Filter mechanism comprising a casing, a connection for the admissionto the casing of the liquid to be filtered, a plurality of substantiallyflat and rectangular filter members mounted in the casing in normallyparallel relation to each other, mechanism for rocking adjacent filtermembers simultanecsuly in opposite directions about spaced axes to bringtheir corners into jarring contact to dislodge the dirt from the fiatexternal surfaces of said members, a manifold receiving the filteredliquid from the filter members to convey such liquid from the casing,rotary joints for the passage of the liquid from the filter members tosaid manifold, a drain pipe in the bottom of the casing, a removabledirt collector in the lower part of the cas ing, and a strainer in thelower .part of said collector.

MARTIN LAX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 652,139 Pedrick June 19, 1900779,013 Wahnsielder Jan. 3, 1905 1,264,635 Graham Apr. 30, 19182,013,776 Wiesman Sept. 10, 1935 2,278,148 Monsarrat et al. Mar. 31,1942 2,301,430 Malanowski Nov. 10, 1942 2,460,416 Goodrich Feb. 1, 19492,475,561 Cooperider et al. July 5, 1949 2,480,320 Carrier Aug. 30, 1949FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 679,892 France Jan. 14, 1930

